MORE than 50 public buildings in Exeter are known to contain asbestos, the Echo can reveal.
And a Freedom of Information Act request has shown that a further 20 public buildings in East and Mid Devon also contain the potentially-deadly substance.
But all of the buildings where asbestos has been discovered are being regularly monitored to ensure they pose no risk to the public.
Significant buildings in Exeter which contain asbestos include the Guildhall, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and the Pyramids swimming pool.
The details were released as the Health and Safety Executive promoted its Asbestos: The Hidden Killer campaign in Devon.
The HSE revealed that every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases and this number is set to increase.
In the South West, 2,437 men died from mesothelioma, caused by asbestos, between 1981 and 2005, the latest year for which figures are available. In Devon, the equivalent figure is 331 men, which includes 46 in Exeter: 37 in East Devon and 49 in Mid Devon.
Helen Ratcliffe, head of the chemical carcinogens and asbestos policy unit at the HSE, said: "Exposure to asbestos is the biggest single cause of work-related deaths, with around 4,000 people a year dying from asbestos-related disease.
"The overall number of deaths is rising because a large number of workers who have already been exposed to asbestos dust around 40 years ago will go on to develop mesothelioma, a terminal cancer or other asbestos-related diseases.
"Research shows that many workers, particularly tradesmen, think they are not personally at risk of exposure to asbestos and the diseases it can cause. They think that since asbestos was banned many years ago, the problem has been dealt with and therefore it is not relevant to them. The reality is very different.
"Even today, asbestos presents a real and relevant risk to plumbers, joiners, electricians and many other maintenance workers. Asbestos may be present in any building constructed or refurbished before 2000, and it is estimated that around 500,000 non-domestic buildings could contain asbestos.
"These buildings all need repair and maintenance work from time to time and when the asbestos fibres are disturbed — by drilling or cutting — they are likely to be inhaled as a deadly dust.
"If asbestos-containing material is in good condition and in a position where it cannot be disturbed or damaged, it is safer to leave it where it is and ensure the risks are managed. Those responsible for managing building maintenance and repair of non-domestic buildings have a duty to inform tradesmen if asbestos is present in a building they are working in. Depending on the type of asbestos-containing material, and providing they have been trained and the proper controls are in place, they may be able to work on the project. Asbestos-sprayed coatings, board or lagging on pipes and boilers should only be tackled by licensed workers."
A spokesman for Exeter City Council said all asbestos in its public buildings was being managed.
He said: "We carry out regular asbestos survey reports which come with prioritised actions and causes for concern which have been dealt with according to the associated risk.
"For example, asbestos considered high risk has been removed by an approved asbestos removal contractor, asbestos considered low risk has been made safe by, for example, encapsulation.
"Where low risk asbestos has been dealt with in such a way, then it is regularly monitored in accordance with a site specific management plan.
East Devon District Council said that it had a "robust" monitoring system in place while Mid Devon District Council reported there have been two incidents at Amory Park — in the changing rooms and groundsman's store — in the past 12 months concerning asbestos which had necessitated action.
A spokesman for Mid Devon District Council said: "We treat all levels of asbestos with concern, however our monitoring process is in place to manage this via periodic inspection.
"Where items of asbestos have been identified as requiring removal through this periodic inspection, a contractor approved for removing asbestos is instructed to do so.
"An example of this is the Amory Park Pavilion Building in which a decision was taken, during an inspection in March 2008, to schedule our approved contractor to remove the material identified and this was done during September 2008."
Source: This is Exeter
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